


thus, with a kiss, i die.

by starryqueerness



Category: Original Story, Original characters - Fandom, this is my oc
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-17
Updated: 2019-06-17
Packaged: 2020-05-13 08:25:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19247470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starryqueerness/pseuds/starryqueerness
Summary: sad boy. gays.





	thus, with a kiss, i die.

Romeo fiddled with the knife he had hidden in his pocket form the officer. He could never really place why such weapons of violence had brought him comfort. His mother had always said it was because he was vile and sinister, but he just thought it was because the metal felt cool and helped relax his mind.

“Juliet, this is the third time we’ve brought you in this year.” His mother chided to him, Romeo flinching at that name. “Stealing from a gas station? Really, honey?”

Romeo avoided her eye contact. His mother had been the chief of police at the local department for years, and recently had saved his ass numerous times for petty crimes. 

A shame, really. 

He didn’t say anything. He had learned long ago with his mother that arguing only made her angrier and him nervous. 

“Answer me, Juliet. Now.” His mother bent down to his level, getting in his face. He stabbed the knife into the chair. God, he hated it when she did that.

“Romeo.” he corrected in a low voice, causing his mother to roll her eyes. “I’ve told you a thousand times.”

“Is that why you’re acting out? Because we didn’t buy you enough stuff?”

It’s like she wasn’t even listening, he thought. She was talking to him, but it was her version of him. She was talking to Juliet, her troublesome but quiet daughter, not Romeo, a completely different person. 

“If you’d listen to what I’m saying-”

She shushed him. “If you want us to buy you more things, just ask, darling. Now I can wipe this off of your record again, but you can’t get away with this every time.”

“I don’t want you to-”

“You’ve been so difficult lately, I don’t understand you. You’re a smart girl, and you know what you’re doing is wrong. I don’t understand why you continue to disappoint us.”

Romeo closed his eyes, trying his hardest not to let his anger get to him. “Please just listen to what I’m saying.”

His mother sighed. “What are you talking about, dear? I am listening. It’s silly of you to think otherwise.”

“Oh, really? Because if you were listening, you’d know that you just interrupted me. Again.”

She frowned. “This kind of backtalk is unacceptable.”

“But I wasn’t-”

“Just be quiet, will you? I’ve had enough of you today.”

Romeo clenched his fist. “Do I get to go home now?”

 

She dramatically sighed again, clearly annoyed. “I suppose. Your father isn’t feeling well, so you’ll have to cook dinner. I expect it to be ready by 7 pm.”

“Thank you, mother dearest.” Romeo plastered on a smile and walked out, throwing his knife onto the ground and beginning to cry as soon as he walked out the glass doors.

Fuck.

\--

He slammed open the door, throwing his backpack onto the ground and stomping into the kitchen. It was nights like this where he wished that all of his problems would just go away. He aggressively chopped tomatoes as he heard soft footsteps coming in. His father. Romeo stopped.

“Hey, son.”

Romeo’s mad expression relaxed into a gentle smile. “Hello.”

“How are you feeling?”

“Not...not great.” he said quietly as he continued to chop.

His father sighed. “Did your mother find out?”

Romeo nodded. “She wasn’t happy.”

“Well...your actions wouldn’t make anyone happy. Your mother is just trying to do her best to raise you. You have been known to cause problems, no offense.”

Romeo’s smile turns to a scorn again as he launches the tomato knife at the wooden counter. “Maybe if she listened to a single word she said she’d know how to raise me better, no offense.” He sneered.

“Watch your tone, please.” Romeo’s father said firmly, but not loud. “She’s your mother, no matter what, and she’s just trying to do what’s best for you. If she didn’t care, she wouldn’t do anything at all. She’s trying her hardest.”

Romeo closed his eyes. He had heard these words at least a hundred times before, but after a while none of them seemed to ring true anymore. “Okay, Dad. Thanks.” he said nonetheless, not wanting to argue with him, too. When they fought, his dad got into coughing fits, and that just made him feel bad.

“Love you, kiddo.” Romeo’s dad smiled. He wasn’t as aggressive as his mother, but he knew what to say to get Romeo to be quiet and just listen. 

“Love you, too.” Romeo responded, knowing fully well it wasn’t true. He put the pasta he had made into a container and walked upstairs, taking a shower and trying to clear his mind.

A few minutes after he got back into his room, a knock came at the door. “Hey, pumpkin. Can I come in?”

“...Sure, why not?” Romeo groaned at his mother’s tone. Here we go again, he thought. 

\--

His mother slowly crept inside, a smile on her face. “Hey, how are you feeling?”

“Okay, I guess.” he twirled his hair and avoided eye contact.

His mother was silent for a minute. “Are you done being mad at me so we can talk?”

He clenched his jaw. “I wouldn’t have gotten mad if you had listened to me when I tried to talk to you two hours ago.”

She sat down on his bed. Romeo shifted away, looking extremely uncomfortable. “I thought we could talk now, if you wanted.”

“About what?”

“About...about you.”

Romeo raised a brow. “I know about me. What about me?”

“Well, your father and I were talking today while we ate dinner, and...we think it’d be best for you if you didn’t go through with all that...body stuff.”

He was silent. “You mean transitioning?”

“Exactly. We just think it’s ridiculous. We support you in whatever you do, but you’re too young to decide any of this. Maybe...maybe when you graduate you can become Romeo or whoever, okay?”

Romeo looked away, feeling like he was going to cry. He promised himself he wouldn’t cry, dammit. 

“Don’t not answer me. I know you’re upset, but at least say it to me.”

“If I say something, will you actually listen to me?”

She laughed. This wasn’t the time for laughing, Romeo thought to himself. “I suppose.”

“It’s just you.”

“What are you talking about, Juliet?”

“That.” Romeo said darkly. “That right there is what I’m talking about. You’re the only person on this goddamn planet who still calls me that after all this time. That...that name, it’s not who I am anymore. I’m not Juliet anymore. My name, my identity, it’s not for you to decide. You don’t just get to put it off as ridiculous. It’s my life.”

‘“It may be your life, but you live under my roof, young lady. And as long as I pay your bills, I can call you whatever I damn well please. We’re not doing it.”

Romeo began to feel frustrated, trying to hide his tears. “This isn’t fair.”

“Life’s not fair, you take what you can get. Just be thankful I didn’t kick you out. Some parents of queer kids do that, you know.”

“Yeah. Whatever.”

“Don’t whatever me, young lady. You don’t just get to walk around and say and be whoever you want around here, especially after the stunt you just pulled today. I tried to be in here and be nice, but you won’t have it, will you? You won't have anything. You’ll never be happy. Your father and I have worked our asses off to raise and feed you and this is the thanks you give us? Whatever?”

Romeo fell silent. He felt so many emotions. He felt guilty for what his mother said. He felt angry, despite her guilt. But overall, he just felt uncomfortable all the time. That seemed to be his brand. “I’m sorry.”

“You should be. Now, did you shower? I don’t want you to walk around school tomorrow being the stinky kid.”

 

“Yeah.” He felt reduced to quiet, one-worded answers, unsure how to express his true feelings without getting him into more trouble.

“Good. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay? I love you.”

“...I love you, too. Close the door behind you, please.”

She left it wide open as Romeo began to sob.

Fuck.

\--

Romeo opened his window. He considered just jumping out onto the ground, ending it all, but instead just using the roof to slide to the ground. He was going to call a friend, but decided against that, too. If anyone came with him, they’d try to stop him from making the mistakes he wanted to make, and where was the fun in that?

He walked down the street, checking his phone for the current temperature. -3 degrees celsius. A jacket would be…smart. He made a last minute decision to grab one, and he was glad he did. 

His first stop was the liquor store. He knew the cashier, and he flirted with her enough until she snuck him a bottle of tequila. His second stop was the park. He drank straight out of the bottle and closed his eyes, trying not to think about what happened as he climbed to hang off the monkey bars.

You can’t be Romeo. Not yet. The words rang in his ears, making them bleed and scream. Why not? She had approved of it just a couple months ago. What had changed?

He knew. He knew what had changed. He knew what hadn’t changed, actually. She never wanted him to do it. She never wanted him to become who he truly was. She didn’t who he really was because she never bothered to ask. She didn’t care. She didn’t love him.

Nobody did.

It didn’t matter anymore. 

Romeo set aside the almost empty bottle and got off the bars, stumbling to the nearest bench to take a breath. It didn’t matter anymore. Nothing mattered anymore. They probably didn’t even notice that he was gone.

There was no point in any of this.

He started walking towards a car to lean against it, hoping it’d help him balance. He accidentally tugs on the handle and the car door opens. Oops, he thought, and began to walk away before considering something.

It was warm in there, probably. And maybe he could sleep. He slid into the front seat and looked carefully around. Okay, so not comfortable enough to sleep in. But maybe…

He sighed and reached for the keys in the cupholder before putting them in the hole, starting the ignition. He knew the dangers of drunk driving, and he certainly knew it wasn’t his car, but it didn’t matter. It was about to be over.

He sped towards the nearby bridge, screeching at a halt in the middle of the street. The 3 am soft wind blew gently through his hair as he stumbled out of the car, walking towards the edge of the bridge.

His mother didn’t care, his father just went along with what his mother said, and he didn’t have anyone else.

What did he have to look forward to? Why should he go on?

Who would care enough to stop him?

\--

Romeo suddenly heard a voice. A distant one, but loud enough to make him turn around. A man in his late twenties came walking carefully over, determination in his soft eyes. 

“Hey, hello. Can we talk?”

“About what?” Romeo slurred. “I don't even fucking know you.”

“About anything you want, okay? Just step back from the bridge.”

Romeo looked out at the water at this. Fuck, whatever, he thought. What did five more minutes make? He stepped in the man's direction, his vision blurring and his body falling onto the ground about halfway across the small path. 

The man got down immediately and picked him up easily, thanks to his large stature. “What's your name?”

“Romeo.” He grumbled, allowing himself to close his eyes. 

“How much have you had to drink tonight, Romeo?” the man asked him as he set Romeo into the back seat of his car. 

“I don't know. A bottle of tequila. Maybe three fourths, I didn't exactly measure.” He gave a soft laugh. 

The man climbed into the front seat, turning the ignition and driving towards the hospital. He knew Romeo was suffering from alcohol poisoning, and if he wasn't going to kill himself, that'd do it for him. “Are you comfortable?”

Romeo considered this a minute. “No. I'm not. I'm not comfortable anywhere doing anything. I'm in a fucking stranger's car going only God knows where when I should be dead.”

“You shouldn't be dead. I'm glad you're here, okay? I'm going to take you to the hospital.”

Romeo's eyes widened and he attempted to sit up. “N-No, I can't go there. They'll call my parents. They'll kill me. I'm better off dead by my own damn hands. It's less embarrassing that way.”

The man scrambled for a way to fix this. “I can pretend to be your stepfather or something? Mother's boyfriend? So I wouldn't be on the records, but we wouldn't have to call your parents.”

“That doesn't sound terrible, no.” Romeo muttered in reply. 

“So we have a deal. You'll go to the hospital, and I'll pretend to be your dad. Got it?”

“Got it.”

The man drove Romeo to the hospital and checked him in, waiting in the lobby for any news about him. He decided to text his partner. He was sure they were worried. 

"Seth: I'm at the hospital. Please don't worry, I'm not hurt. I found a drunk kid on the street who was about to jump off the bridge downtown. I brought him to the hospital. I have to make sure he's okay before I leave. Don't wait up for me." 

He set his phone between his legs, and despite it being 4:30 in the morning, he immediately got a text back. 

"Be careful, Dahlia. I love you." 

Henry put his phone down. It could only get better from here. 

\--

Romeo woke up in a sweat. The last thing he remembered was climbing out of the car...shuffling towards the bridge…

He stopped himself from panicking. That wouldn’t help anything. He decided he would just stand up and ask someone where he was and how he got there. 

He crept out of his room and looked around the lobby. The only person that was sitting there was about a 6’3” man sleeping like a baby strewn across three seats. Romeo sighed and shoved a nearby vase off a table in anger. “Why the hell am I here?” he hissed more to himself than anyone else, waking up the other man.

Henry sat up and rubbed his eyes, trying to focus on the world around him before looking over. There stood Romeo, hands shaking with a panicked, angry look on his face. Henry stood slowly and walked towards him, careful not to scare him. “Hey, Romeo.”

Romeo blinked. How the hell did he know his name? “Who are you?” he snarled, backing up. 

“I’m...I’m Henry. I’m the one who brought you here last night.”

Romeo sighed. He remembered him now. He had talked him off the bridge and brought him in his nice car to the hospital. His face turned from confusion to anger. “Get the hell away from me.”

Henry’s face dropped. “Oh...uh...okay. Sorry.” he said softly as he stood up, grabbing his coat.

“You should be.” Romeo’s voice was eerily quiet. “If it weren’t for you, I’d be dead.”

Henry blinked. “That’s...that’s not a good thing?”

Romeo rolled his eyes. “You really think I’d be jumping off a damn bridge while wasted if I gave a fuck about my life? It doesn’t matter. I don’t matter. All you did was buy me an extra week of misery.”

“That’s…” Henry ran a hand through his hair, “that’s terrible. I’m so sorry.”

“You already said that, dumbass.”

“I’m not sorry for what I did. I’m sorry you had to go through that. That you’ve had such a rough life.”

“You don’t know anything about my life.”

“Kids with happy lives don’t get drunk and try to jump off bridges. Trust me, I was one, too. Just...remember it’s not over, okay? It’s not over until you make that split second decision. You can change. You can heal.”

Romeo winced. “Whatever. Thanks, I guess.”

Henry gave a small smile before glancing at his watch. “You’re welcome. I...I have to get home to my partner. They’re probably worried about me. Here’s my cell phone number in case you need me. Bye.” He waved and turned in the other direction to walk away.

“...Wait.”

Henry turned back around.

“Uhh…” Romeo rubbed his arm uncomfortably. “Thanks for saving my life or whatever. And not pressing charges for me stealing your car.”

“My car?”

“That...that was your car, right? That’s why you found me.”

Henry sighed. “Yeah, but don’t worry about it. All I care about is you getting better.” 

“That’s...uh...really nice. Thanks, I guess.”

“You’re welcome.” 

And with that, Henry turned out of the door and walked out. Romeo walked back to his room feeling odd. There was someone who stopped him. Someone who cared. Someone who took time out of his life to help him heal.

Maybe he wasn’t worth nothing.

\--

Romeo spent the next few days in the hospital. He was anxious the whole time on what his parents would say, how they’d react. He didn’t remember if Henry had told them about what really happened or not, but he didn’t want to face them. Not at all. It wouldn’t end well.

“What, do we not do enough for you?” Romeo’s mother screamed. He knew she was going to be upset. He hadn’t expected anything else. It all depended on how long he could handle it all before he snapped and put himself into real trouble. “Is our daily care for you not enough? You’re fed, cleaned, educated, and loved! What more do you want, Juliet?”

Romeo paused for a moment. “You know what I want.”

His mother rolled her eyes. “Were you seriously going to jump off a bridge for that? You went to all the trouble to get drunk and be merry before stealing a car, driving it under the influence, and almost offing yourself. You could’ve at least done it for a real reason.”

He paled. “I...I…” he closed his eyes. He felt like a complete and total idiot. Absolutely stupid. If he had just killed himself, it’d be over. He wouldn’t have to be here to deal with this. Those thoughts and similar ones flooded through his head as he struggled for an answer, his mother raising an eyebrow in waiting.

“Dear, I have to feed you dinner. I don’t have all day. Get on with it.”

“It was a real reason. It’s who I am.” Romeo finally managed to croak. 

“You’re…” his mother sighed, “almost pathetic. I love you, but that was sad. Your sad attempts at excuses and made up stories baffle me as they get more and more complex. It was your haircut, then your sexuality, and now your gender? You were going to throw away everything because of some phase? You love to pretend that you're ‘abused’ here or whatever, but you’re just playing a victim. You have a cushy life here. There’s no reason for you to be so damn depressed. There are other ways to get attention, and this will certainly not do anymore.”

“Maybe it’s the depression.” Romeo snarled in response without even thinking, his eyes widening afterwards, realizing how much trouble that could get him in.

His mother just paused, taking a deep breath. “You think you’re funny, don’t you? Well, I personally don't find it funny. Not at all. You were absolutely out of line. You were thoughtless, and careless, and absolutely horrible. You're a wretched girl. Boy. Whatever special star in the sky you decide you want to be your gender today.”

He froze. He had never felt so helpless in his life. His brain wouldn’t connect his endlessly running thoughts to his bolted shut mouth. He just stood there in absolute terror.

“Just...just stay in here tonight. Your father and I are so tired of seeing your sorry face. Come back out in the morning when you’re ready to apologize for being so selfish.” 

She slammed his bedroom door behind her as she left, leaving Romeo dizzy and disoriented. He dialed Henry’s number and waited. It could only get better from here.

Right?

\--

A tired Henry answered the phone. “Hello? Who’s this?”

Romeo took a deep breath, speaking nervously. “It’s Romeo. I need to get out of here.”

“Where? The hospital?” He suddenly sounded more awake, Romeo hearing shifting noises in the background.

“No. I’m at home. I don’t know how much longer I can be here, please.” His voice cracked. He felt exposed and absolutely stupid, but he couldn’t do it any longer. “I feel like doing something again and I need someone to stop me. Please. Anything has to be better than this.”

Henry paused for a moment. “Do you want me to pick you up?”

“No. They’ll try to stop me if you come here. Meet me at the nearby park in about...an hour, okay?”

“Whatever you need, kid. I’m here to help.”

“Yeah, uh, thanks. I guess. Whatever. See you then.”

Romeo hung up the phone before looking around his room, scanning for things he could sneak out. He didn’t want any childhood or personal things. If he was going to start a new life, he had to start it fresh. He was going to leave, finally, and live as Romeo.

Live how he’s supposed to.

He grabbed a bag and threw in whatever items he first saw and really had an attraction to. If it didn’t spark joy, he threw it out. He finally finished packing after about a half an hour and decided he would write a note to his family with his extra time. He scrambled for a pen and paper, writing with shaky hands.

He began to write, but it felt empty. There was nothing to say on that note that he hadn’t already tried to say before. He ended up crumpling the paper and throwing it in the trash, hoping his parents would get the memo. 

After throwing his items out the window, Romeo followed. He ran as fast as he could to the park, feeling a little satisfaction as he imagined the shocked look on their faces.

Good.

Henry met eye contact first, running over to Romeo with an extremely concerned look on his face. “What’s...what’s wrong? What do you need me to do? Are you okay? Are you safe?”

“No. And...and nothing. Everything. Nothing and everything. I just I...I had to leave. I couldn’t stay. I don’t know where to go or...or what to do, but I didn’t have a choice. I couldn’t handle it.” his hands started to violently shake as he thought about the argument.

Henry’s worried expression turned soft, and he placed a gentle hand on Romeo’s shoulder. “Hey, hey listen to me, kid. It’ll be alright, okay? You don’t ever have to go back. You can let it be your past and leave it behind you.”

Romeo couldn’t help it anymore. He began to cry. He began to ugly sob. He collapsed onto the ground and just let out every emotion he couldn’t in the past 17 years. “I-I-I’m s...so sor-rr-rry…”

“Hey, no, don’t apologize. It’s okay. You don’t have to be sorry.” Henry kneeled down next to him, not sure what reaction would ensue if he tried to hug him for comfort, so he decides against it.

“I’m such a f-fuck up.” Romeo’s voice was nearly inaudible. “I don’t deserve any of this. I don’t deserve your help. I s...I should’ve just done it. I don’t care what the doctor said. I was so close. Death would’ve been s-so...so warm.”

“Romeo, don’t say that, please. You deserve my help. You deserve a fresh start. You deserve to live and be cared for. Don’t let this be your whole life. Let it just be your backstory. Tragic backstories make for the sweetest, most well-deserved recoveries.”

Romeo looked up, realizing what he had done, and stood up. “I’ll...I’ll try.”

Henry smiled reassuringly before helping him up. “I’m going to bring you somewhere safe. It’s a shelter that specializes in teens in similar situations. It’s a little bit of a drive, but it’s a start, right?”

“The start of a whole new life.” Romeo repeated in disbelief.

“It can only go up from here.”

\--

Romeo stayed in a shelter for about 2 months before getting a visa approved to live in the United States, something he’d always wanted to do. He moved there and started a peaceful life, enrolling into college and getting a part time job as a cashier. He was happy for about two years, until one day he got a phone call.

“Juliet?” A soft voice said on the other line, causing Romeo to freeze. He looked to the customer. “Can you wait a moment ma’am? I...I have to take a break.” He ran towards the break room and took a deep breath. 

“Romeo.” He repeated in a stern voice, getting flashbacks to the years in his house.

“Juliet, it’s Mom.” His mother said in the same innocent tone, memories of this type of subtle abuse pouring through Romeo’s memory. 

Romeo sighed. He didn't have to take this from her. He didn't live with her anymore. He wasn't under her roof. He could say whatever the hell he wanted! He sighed again, an odd new-found confidence flowing through him. “Are you calling to apologize?”

“Apologize? For what, dear?” He could tell she was trying not to get angry. 

“For bothering me when I'm at work.”

“Oh, you have a job now? This Romeo or whoever is already a better child than Juliet ever was.”

“I'm- it's the same person! I've always been Romeo! Why are you calling me?”

“Is there a reason a mother has to call her daughter? Can't we just talk?”

“No.”

His mother sighed. Romeo tapped his foot impatiently. His break was only so long. 

“If you would like…I just wanted to say that you can come home.”

“Oh, was I not allowed to go back to Brisbane before?”

“Well, not for a while. After you ran, I was very angry. Your name was not even allowed to be said for about the first year. Then after a bit, I decided that I forgive you. You were a stupid child then. You're 19 now, you surely are more sensible! You have a job. Your own apartment. You've graduated high school in America. And now, since you're forgiven, you can come home.”

Romeo was silent a moment. That was a lot to take in at once. He didn't even want to respond. He had to, though. He wasn't leaving her with nothing. He was going to speak his mind. 

“I'm 19. I have my own job, and I've graduated high school. Every minute I lived in Brisbane you were an evil, devisive woman. You manipulated Dad into saying whatever you wanted him to, you yelled at me for everything, and you drove me to…to almost kill myself.” Romeo whispered the last phrase. “I don't want to be forgiven by you. I left for a reason. There's no way in hell I'm ever going back to Brisbane, and I'm never ever going to see you again. Don't call me again. I'm changing my number.”

“And what about your father, huh?”

“...tell Dad I love him. He actually loved me. Loved me for who I am. Called me his son.”

“Come home. Tell him yourself.”

“You…you can't guilt me into coming back! I have a life here! Friends, a job, a boyfriend. I'll call Dad and talk to him.”

“You're my daughter! You're my daughter no matter what. I want you to come home. Please.”

Romeo took a shaky breath. “That's where you're wrong.”

“What?”

“I'm not your daughter. I've never been. I'm not even you're son. You never loved me, so I’ll return the favor. Don't call again.”

“Juliet…”

Click. 

Romeo collapsed to the ground. His coworkers crowded around him, wondering if he was okay. He was too disoriented to even answer. His boss gave him the ok to go home early, so he distractedly drove back to his dorm. He snuck his emergency bottle of rum out of a cabinet and sat down on the couch, just wanting to forget about today. 

“Romeo?” Romeo's boyfriend Teddy walked in. He had a very concerned look on his face. “Romeo are you okay?”

Romeo looked up, not even sure how to respond. “I…I had a bad day.” He slurred slightly. 

Teddy carefully took the bottle away as he slid in next to Romeo, taking his hand gently. “Hey, it's okay. We can talk about it, Romeo. You don't have to keep it in, remember?”

Romeo sighed and leaned up against Teddy. “My mom called me.”

“You're- what? How? You're separated, aren't you? How did she even get your number?”

“I don't know, but she tried to convince me to come back. Kept calling me her daughter. She said that she missed me. Like she ever loved me.”

Teddy nodded, listening vigilently. “That is so awful. I'm so sorry.” Teddy pulled Romeo closer, completely cradling him in his arms. 

“Just once I want to leave everything behind. When I got here, everybody told me I could leave it behind. What happened in Brisbane stays in Brisbane. They were wrong. I'll never fucking escape my mistakes. I'll never escape her.” 

“They were right, okay? They were totally, totally right. Tomorrow we'll go to the phone store and get you a new phone number. We'll block that number. If she tries to call again, I'll talk to her, okay?”

Romeo nodded, a little too drunk to argue with any logic. It didn't help he was so warm and cozy in Teddy's big, strong arms. “Sure, Teddy Bear. I'm sorry.”

“Don't be sorry. I'm glad you told me. I want to keep you safe, okay? I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“Now I'm gonna help bring you to bed, okay? I'll help you shower in the morning before work, and I'll meet you in bed super soon, okay?”

“Okay.”

Teddy led Romeo to bed. He sighed and walked back into the living room, throwing away any extra liquor he found in the cabinet. He knew Romeo had a slight problem, and he didn't want anything to trigger an event like that night in Brisbane. 

Teddy didn't know what he'd do without him.

**Author's Note:**

> PLS APPRECIATE MY BOYS THEY ED+ESRVE LOVE AND ALL OF IT PSLEAS


End file.
